After scientific studies, Marie-Hélène Bernard began studying music at the Universities of Pau, Paris VIII and Paris IV La Sorbonne (Doctorate in music).She has composed instrumental, mixed and electro-acoustic works. Her music has been played in Europe, USA, Canada, Chile, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. She has been invited in residence at the studios of GRM, La Muse en Circuit, CIRM, GRAME, and Césaré. She has got commissions from French Ministery of Culture, INA-GRM (Gexin for fixed sounds, awarded by IAWM...), Radio France-Musique, Festivals FUTURA and Détours de Babel, Studio Césaré, Fondation Marcelle et Robert de Lacour, Shanghai Conservatory, Asian Art Ensemble in Berlin, Orchestre National de Lyon... She was a price-winning of « La Villa Médicis hors les murs » (French Foreign Minister- Institut Français) in 2003 (Residence in China in 2003-2004), and also in 2013 (Residence in South Korea).

Work

This creation is inspired by a news report listened in 2010, about the announcement of an old woman’s death. I was immediately attracted by the mysterious voice of this woman, called Boa Sr, living in the Andaman Archipelago (located in the Bay of Bengal), who was the last native speaker of language Bo. At the end of her life, she did not have more people to exchange with and spoke to the birds, in the hope to be heard by her ancestors. An Indian linguist researcher, called Anvita Dehbi, recorded Boa Sr’s words and left short extracts on internet.Also the piece is a kind of Requiem in honour of this woman speaking to the birds. There are the words in Bo, used into the piece: I am getting tired due to work and my hands are burning/ aching. Sea birds, earth birds, crabs...Lightening... in the night...